


The Guard's Touch

by sunset_pancakes



Category: No Fandom
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Competitive, Explicit Sexual Content, Fantasy World, Hurt No Comfort, Innocent boy, Insecure boy, M/M, Madness, Manipulative Relationship, Multi, Possessive Behavior, Prince and Guard, Rough Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Scents & Smells, Sexual Inexperience, Shyness, Smut, Young Guys, beautiful body, descriptive, slowburn-ish, toxic behaviour
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:46:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29355183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunset_pancakes/pseuds/sunset_pancakes
Summary: An engaging slowburn set in a fantasy world that starts off fluffy and harmless but gets pretty intense and competitive as new characters get involved.
Relationships: Prince/Guard - Relationship





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language, so I apologize for any errors. I hope you will enjoy my story :) Feel free to comment.

### Young Beauty

The golden rays of the sunrise tickle Seri's nose as he slowly wakes up. While turning over, he pushes back his dark wavy hair over his head and rubs his beautiful pitch-black eyes. As he awakes and stretches, a quiet moan leaves his voluptuous lips.

The silk drapes dance in the wind, the seagulls scream in the distance. Seri pushes his light blanket aside, revealing a skinny, yet muscular body. His naked feet on the wooden floor sound like water drops hitting the ground. As he stands in front of the mirror he looks deep into his own eyes and smirks. You can do this, is what he thinks to himself. After washing himself, he puts on a silk robe, embroidered with golden thread. The burning sunrise, mirrored in the sea, makes him look like a young god.

As Seri enjoys the royal breakfast, mostly exotic fish and fresh fruit, the imperial advisor rushes through the palace halls. She holds today's schedule, written on a paper scroll. Ready to lecture the Crown-Prince on the Coronation Ceremony, she enters the room and taps on the scroll while walking towards him.

"Do you mind if we go through the ceremony's schedule again?" she said nicely but with a serious face.

"Can't it wait until I'm finished?" he answered with his young, warm voice.

"I'm afraid we can't wait any longer your Majesty, we've already fallen behind the schedule." the advisor replied while tilting her head slightly to the side.

After a few seconds of silence pass, Seri looks up to her with a suffering look on his face, his elbows resting on the table, his hands supporting his sharp jaw. He takes one last sip from the crystal glass in front of him, stands up and gets ready to follow his advisor.

Of course he wants to be Emperor, it does come with advantages, but the responsibilities that come with it are even greater. Because of that Seri lies awake at night so often, unable to sleep. He thinks of all the people out there, beyond Goldblood Island, that he is responsible for. Hearing of unrest, revolts and even disloyalty turns his stomach upside down.

Luckily he is never actually alone long enough to overthink at all. Many nobles from close-by islands let their heirs work for the Imperial Palace, hoping to achieve closer ties to the Emperor. Closest to Seri is Noy. He's two years older than him, a skillful strategist and heir to Sunset Island north of the Imperial Capital. Noy regularly teaches Seri how to defend himself with blade and bow. Not only due to their friendship but also his slightly more muscular and wider shoulders, Seri feels very safe around him and would entrust him with his own life.

Seri often stares at him, fascinated by Noy's strong aura, without even realizing. Though Seri never dared to ask himself in all honesty if maybe there are feelings beyond simple friendship, Noy watches him too from time to time. Just like in this moment. The sun stands high in the sky, throwing almost no shadows outside at all. Seri is being dressed into the most precious fabrics by several servants. The Crown-Prince is too caught up in practicing his coronation recitals to notice the presence of his friend at all.

Noy looks at his Prince from outside the room, his heart filled with pride, as he decides to go on about his guard duty. Seri's coronation will fulfill the succession and with the crown, the weight of an empire will push down on his head. It's not an overly impressive crown he chose, maybe not even a crown but more of a tiara. It has a very simple design and isn't loaded with gems unlike most crowns in this world. Seri believes simplicity and modesty are key.

When the golden sun set at the horizon, the Imperial Crown was put onto his head and he was proclaimed Emperor. All nobles of high rank attended, introducing him to a new world of intrigue and plots in the dark. It was a simple, yet magnificent ceremony.

Worrying about what he might or might not overcome during his rule, Seri now wanders wistfully up and down the palace beach with a tortured mind. The night sky is lit with thousands of bright stars and a sweet summer night breeze warms Seri's rosy cheeks. Light blue rays of light emerge from the ocean reefs, a natural phenomenon common in the waters around Goldblood Island. Some people say the magical lights were a gift from the gods, some believe them to be a spell casted by a magical entity living in these waters. Seri doesn't really care what causes them to shine, although he does care to appreciate their beauty. Leaning against a palm tree, he watches the lights dance in the calm ocean. Suddenly something different crosses his mind, not the lights, not the Empire and not even plots in the dark. It was a thought about Noy.

"Are we going to stay close to each other? What if I'm too busy, too much away from this place to talk to him at all? Maybe I won't even be able to see him anymore." he mumbles to himself.

"I don't think you have to worry about that Seri." a warm, reassuring voice says from behind, when suddenly Seri feels the firm grip of a hand on his right shoulder.

Surprised by Noy's voice he turns around to his friend: "I thought you had guard duty!" Seri stammers slightly embarrassed.

He didn't know his friend was right next to him, otherwise he would have never said such things. In his mind Seri slaps himself aggressively over it.

"Uhm, you don't have to blush like that Seri. Don't even worry about it, I heard nothing." Noy said to him and smirks, pulling only the right corner of his mouth up.

Seri notices a sparkle in his eyes. The breathtaking star-filled night sky and the blue shimmer of the ocean reflect off of them.

"You know... because today is your special day, it might be too dangerous wandering off alone like this. Please come back to the palace soon, I don't want to lose my head in case you die out here." Noy says jokingly but with confidence.

He rubs Seri's hair, messing it up entirely. Seri's heart jumps. Without having the chance to say anything at all, Noy turns around with a grin on his face and says: "I'll see you around."

Seri's heart is racing. It might just be that he is overworked and exhausted from the long day of ceremonial stress, Seri thought to himself. Because he has a feeling it might not be the truth behind it, he takes a deep breath and shakes his head vigorously.

Stroking his hair to the back with his right hand, Seri walks up the beach, back to the palace. On his way there he could not help but think about Noy's grinning face. The sand between Seri's toes feels warm and soft, it makes him sleepy.

As he walks through the beautiful palace hallways, the wind plays with the hundreds of silk drapes hanging from the wooden arches. Seri reaches his room and immediately falls into his ground-level bed. Too tired to even undress he dozes off to the distant sound of waves breaking ashore.


	2. Chapter 2

### Guard's Duty

A day has passed, Seri stands in his room, a warming evening breeze is hugging his body.

The Goldblood Island Palace is quite exotic in its architecture. Wooden arches and pillars outline the rooms' three-dimensional shape but there are no ceilings or walls. Only silk drapes block the view from the ceiling-less hallways into the rooms.

Most parts do not even have doors, since everything is stretched out far and there is a flight of stairs, up to most bedrooms. Because of the tropical climate there never was a need to build four walls and a ceiling, on the contrary, the warm sea winds gently blowing through are greatly appreciated and so are the stars in the sky at night.

As Seri looks for something to dress in for the celebrations, he takes off his pants. Usually nobility does not wear pants but Seri finds them quite comfortable from time to time. After a few minutes of just standing there, he decides to put on a body-emphasizing, yet not too revealing white robe for the feast.

The robe reminds of a toga, but instead of covering most of his body, his smooth legs are showing up to his waist. He finishes the look off with his imperial tiara and leaves his room ready to join the nobles from all over the realm in the feast.

Walking down the hallways, followed closely by two guards, he feels how nervous he is getting. Having to speak in front of all those high-ranking rulers makes him nauseous.

Seri enters the great hall, a long dark table with eighty stools around it fills the platform-like room. Three light orbs hover over the table in a disorganized but calming way, a spell casted by the court scholars to light up the hall.

As Seri steps closer, the guards around the hall strike their shields with the handles of their weapons, causing a loud drum-like sound to make the glasses on the table tremble. The nobles arise hastily from their stools and turn towards the young Emperor. Seri can't help but blush, he was never given this kind of attention before. This feeling vanishes quickly though, as he remembers he will not just be an observer today.

Seri walks to the throne-like chair at the end of the long table. A guard pulls the chair back so Seri can sit down. Silently everyone is taking a seat as well and looks at him, expecting him to say something.

A renowned noble began to speak: "The Empire greets his Imperial Majesty. As the one taking the crown, may you bring law and order to the realm, as your father before you could not."

Seri's heart beats rapidly as if he was being attacked. They must be testing his strength and character he thinks and tries to come up with a confident and determined answer.

"I shall do my best! To all the people of my realm I will bring prosperity and freedom." he says with as much confidence as possible and raises his glass.

With the ice broken, the nobles raise their glasses also and yell a toast in unison. The lavish drinking and feasting begins. Everyone starts to talk to their neighbours excitedly, ready to celebrate through the night until dawn.

All of the sudden the hall seems like a very festive and cozy place. Everyone is enjoying themselves, drinking and eating as if they hadn't in weeks. Gossiping about scandals and laughing about jokes, Seri starts to feel more and more comfortable. Hours of feasting pass, a couple nobles already drunk leave for their rooms. Over the course of the night they become less and less. When only roughly two dozens of nobles are left at the table, Seri finally decides to go rest as well.

He stands up way too fast for the amount of drinks he had and yells: "Goodnight my lovely friends, you are truly the best!"

Everyone laughs out loud and congratulates Seri on his first successful feast. He finally feels like his place in this realm is secured, although it might just be the alcohol talking.

Stumbling through the hallways, Seri feels increasingly dizzy. He tries not to look up because the starry sky seems to spin around him, which makes him feel even more dizzy and nauseous. Seri finally arrives at his room. The ten steps leading up to it are the only thing between him and his bed now. As he tries to take the first step, Seri loses his balance.

Clinging to a pillar, not really being able to move, he sighs out loud and closes his eyes.

"Seri are you okay?" A warm voice asks.

It was Noy on his guard duty. Seri still leans against the pillar with his eyes closed, seemingly unresponsive.

Noy looks around, the drapes swing back and forth calmly in the gentle wind of the night. No one seems to be watching. He grabs Seri's waist with one hand, his thigh with the other and lifts him up. Noy feels Seri's smooth and seemingly flawless skin.

He has never been this close to him before. Noy notices his sweet yet subtle smell as he carries Seri up the stairs to his room. He lays him down on his bed and brushes his hair out of his face. Noy watches Seri sleep for a while. He looks so innocent, is what he is thinking to himself. As Noy realizes there are no guards in front of Seri's room tonight, he decides to stay and personally guard his room instead.

Just in case.

The night drags on uneventfully. The sound of the waves breaking ashore in the distance make Noy very sleepy. Sitting on the stairs leading up to Seri's room, he slowly feels the sleepiness overpower him.


	3. Chapter 3

### Smooth Skin

It is early in the morning, the sky is grey and the sun hasn't risen yet. Noy jumps up from his slumber on the stairs. Quickly he turns around to see if Seri is still in his bed where he left him last night.

He sees his delicate body lying there. Relieved that nothing had happened while Noy slept and neglected his guard duty, he slowly walks up to Seri, trying not to make any loud noises. Seri's clothes are slightly twisted from him turning in his sleep, so his back is fully revealed. Noy looks him up and down. His body just seems too flawless to be true, is what is going through his head right now. To him Seri's body looks like a piece of art made of marble, so smooth, so perfect.

Admiring the artwork, Noy just squats there for a while when suddenly a thought gets loud inside his head.

He wants to feel him.

Should he touch him? Maybe he will wake up. It is too dangerous. He really should not. But the urge in him is strong.

So Noy slowly reaches for Seri's back. First just with the tip of his finger, then with his whole palm he touches him. His skin feels so warm and smooth that a fire sparks in Noy.

Forgetting that his actions at the moment are completely out of place, he gently runs his hand over Seri's back. His hand slowly moves down Seri's spine. Centimetre after centimetre his hand slides further down, his heart races with passion.

As he reaches the lower region of his back, suddenly Seri grumbles. Noy flinches and gets up quickly, trying to think of an excuse as to why he was touching Seri like this at all.

Seri turns around, his eyes are still closed. He seems to be asleep still. Trying not to make any sound, Noy slowly sneaks towards the stairs in reverse. As he reaches the last step he begins to breathe normally again, relieved by the fact that he didn't wake Seri up with his touch.

Just what was he thinking? Doing something reckless like this could cost him his rank at court, maybe even his life.

Frustrated by his own weakness and lack of control, Noy fulfills the rest of his guard duty outside Seri's room. By sunrise two guards arrive from their break to replace him, he can finally get some good rest and perhaps forget what happened in Seri's room.

At late noon Seri opens his eyes for the first time today. He lays in his bed and looks up at the seagulls in the sky. His head is pounding terribly. Slowly he raises his hands to the sides of his head and starts massaging them, hoping it would make the pain go away.

Yesterday night was truly an amazing experience for Seri. Never before had he been drinking that much, especially not in company of high-ranking nobles. To his great surprise, the feast went over without any major embarrassments or conflicts. With this in mind a subtle smile forms on his lips. "I can do this" he mumbles to himself and slowly tries to get up.

As he gets changed for a day away from court, just to himself, the imperial advisor enters his room.

"Your Majesty, I am delighted the feast was a grand success! Surely you earned a day to recover from the diplomacy. If there is anything I can do to make His Majesty recover any faster I will be available the whole day until sundown." she said with a delighted grin on her face.

Seri replies to her looking at himself in the mirror: "There's actually something you could do for me. I meant to go to the market today, of course not officially and not as the Emperor. Could you inform Noy he's to accompany me? Just in case something happens and I need protection."

"I must inform His Majesty that I do not approve of this risky and reckless behaviour but of course I will do as I'm told." she said to Seri, bows at the end and then leaves the room again. Seri shakes his head and chuckles while looking down at his dresser.

He grabs a beige hooded robe, puts it on and swaps his fine shoes with a simple pair.

Noy, already waiting for his friend outside, greets Seri casually from afar as he reaches the palace gates.

"So we're off to an adventure I heard?" Noy says to him and smiles. Seri raises his left hand up before his mouth and chuckles shyly.

"I just want to see how the people are doing, eavesdrop on some gossip." he says and smiles back.

As they walk through the city Seri notices that Noy is somehow different, he is not sure what exactly it is that changed though. Usually Noy leads the conversations between them since Seri is more of the shy type. But today Noy seems more absent, like he is not interested in talking at all.

As they maneuver through the crowds in the narrow alleys of the market, they pass by a wine merchant's stand. Seri stops the moment he sees it and turns to Noy with a big grin on his face.

"Seri we really can't do these kind of things. I am here to protect you, not to get drunk with you!" Noy says with a serious tone but undecided facial expression.

Completely ignoring his words Seri proceeds to buy the biggest bottle the merchant offers. Then he proudly shows it off to Noy and sticks his tongue out to him as he begins to jog towards the beach. Noy breaks into laughter, shakes his head and runs after him.

Seri reaches the shoreline, sits down by a rock away from the crowds and opens the bottle.

Noy walks up to the rock and looks down to Seri.

"Now that's a really bad idea Seri. Maybe let's go back to the palace? We could practice some archery together." he says to him, already knowing his answer.

"Come on let's have some fun together, like friends should!" Seri says after rolling his eyes at Noy.

Seri takes a big sip from the bottle and passes it to him. For a few seconds he just stands there and looks down to Seri holding the wine bottle up to him. Noy looks into the distance, then takes the bottle.

"You have a bad influence on me, you know that right?" he said to Seri jokingly, then drinks.

The sun sets on the horizon and the bottle is almost empty. Seri watches the golden sun rays dance in the ocean's waves but his eyelids begin to feel heavy. Trying to lean against the rock behind him is uncomfortable because it has such a rough surface.

As his eyes close, he gives up finding a comfortable position to sit in and let's his head fall onto Noy's left shoulder. Then Seri falls asleep.

Noy looks at the head resting on his shoulder. At first he feels warm and unbothered by it but then suddenly an overwhelming guilt plagues him. They are very close again and Seri doesn't even notice because he fell asleep. It reminds Noy of last night, when he got a little too close to Seri than good for him.

His heart starts racing again. Should he wake Seri up? Should he do something at all or just enjoy the moment while it lasts? Noy decides to ignore those questions and just go with his heart.

His head slowly moves down onto Seri's. They sit there like this for another moment, when suddenly Seri falls over from the weight of Noy's head on his. Now Seri lies asleep on his lap, his head uncomfortably close to Noy's crotch.

As he realizes the position he is in, Noy begins to panic. His heart beats quickly, the air feels a lot more hotter now than before too. He notices how his lower region begins to change in anticipation.

Very nervously Noy moves Seri's head away from the situation, without waking him up. He breathes in and out deeply and tries to control himself.

Having calmed down, Noy raises Seri's head with his hands and tries to stand up. He decides carrying him home on his back would be the easiest thing to do, so he grabs his arms and pulls them over his shoulders.

Seri, still asleep, unconsciously wraps his legs around Noy's waist to hold on to him. Noy can't help but smile over it.

He takes the longer way back to the palace, the one not many people would use at this time of the day, to avoid any unwanted attention. Only a few fishermen walk by him on their way home. Noy earns some condescending looks and one or two rude comments but at least no one recognizes Seri because of his hooded disguise.

He also makes sure to avoid the main gate at all costs, the guards would surely disapprove of carrying Seri like this, so Noy walks along the beach all the way around the city, up to the private palace shore line.

Luckily no one notices them as they enter the palace from one of the side entrances. Rushing through the hallways to Seri's room, Noy looks around carefully, not to run into any guards or even worse the advisor.

As he finally reaches the bedroom, he puts Seri down on his bed, just like the night before. This time he would not make the same mistake again though. He decides to leave immediately. Noy pulls the blanket over Seri's body, then gets up and turns around. Quickly he rushes out of the room, no one should have to ask questions as to why he was there in the first place.

Thinking about what happened earlier at the beach, Noy walks down the hallways scratching his head. Some sleep might make the embarrassment vanish, he thinks and enters his own small room on the other side of the palace.


	4. Chapter 4

### Time Alone

After a good night's rest and a simple breakfast on the beach, Seri begins packing his bag. He packs a couple light robes, some pants and other necessities.

As he closes the bag the advisor comes into Seri's room and she begins to speak with a calm and friendly voice: "Your Majesty, I hope you enjoy the time you will be spending alone on Ash Island. You deserve it after all. May I be of your service in any way?"

Seri smiles at her and answers: "Thank you so much, I was already looking forward to my vacation to be honest. The coronation day and feasting right after were really exhausting! I do feel kind of bad though that I leave my people to themselves for a week. Isn't it my duty to stay by their side?"

"Of course you are not wrong Seri and I am delighted to see such sense of responsibility in you! But we do want a well rested ruler watching over us, so please try to completely relax this week." she said to him with a content face.

The advisor had known Seri since he was a child and she was also very close to his father the former Emperor. Even though they do not spend too much time together, the advisor was always somewhat of a mother figure to Seri.

His actual mother died after his birth nineteen years ago, so he does not know the love of a mother. Sometimes he wonders if that might be the reason why he feels different from others and finds it difficult to interact with the people around him. Though right now he focuses on the rewarding vacation ahead of him.

"Regarding your safety Seri, I would suggest taking a guard-squad with you. During these uncertain times we can never be too cautious!" the advisor says and nods.

Seri roles with his eyes and replies: "Don't you think a whole guard-squad is a little too much? Why can't I just go alone?"

She scratches her head and asks him: "I couldn't forgive myself if anything happened to you, your Majesty. At least take one guard with you then, so the Imperial advisor can sleep calmly without any worries?"

Seri's mind directly wanders off to Noy. Maybe he would be the most comfortable to have around. Of course he would prefer to spend the time alone but he also does not want to give the advisor a hard time.

After staring into the distance and thinking for a while, Seri gives in and says: "Alright. Can I at least choose the guard that will be by my side?"

"Thank you, your Majesty! I will inform Noy right away to prepare for duty." she says gratefully and winks at him.

The advisor then turns around quickly and rushes out of the room.

Seri's heart stops for a second. Of course it makes sense that she would assume he chooses Noy as his guard, they have been friends for quite some time now. But still it bothers Seri somehow. Why exactly, he does not know.

Maybe it is making him uncomfortable how the advisor confirms their closeness in this way from an unbiased view. Maybe he does not want to admit the existence of feelings the advisor does not know of but implies to exist. Either way, Seri guesses he simply overthinks this again. He tends to do that a lot.

He shakes his head, grabs his bag and leaves his room, heading for the docks.

Right behind the palace, in the shallow waters, lies a small ship with light blue sails. As Seri comes closer he can see Noy is already standing there, holding a bag that hangs over his right shoulder.

When they board the ship together Noy just grins at Seri, nods in his direction and mumbles "Your Majesty."

He sure behaves differently when other people are around, especially other guards or palace officials. At least that is what Seri thinks.

Seri sits down at the back end of the ship, the wind blows his hair into his face.

He takes a deep breath and says to himself: "Finally I can just live in peace without people telling me what's good for me. At least for a week."

He brushes the hair out of his face to the back and closes his eyes to enjoy the warm rays of sunlight. Meanwhile Noy leans against the ship's mast and enjoys the view of the palace. A couple sailors ready the sail for departure, the advisor communicates last details with the captain on the dock. Then they set sail.

For a couple hours they navigate through tropical atolls and around small uninhabited islands. The view is beautiful and the weather friendly. As usual a sweet smell lies in the ocean breeze. Seri feels like he had been on vacation for days already.

There is just something special about the Heartglow Sea's breeze that relaxes ones mind and makes one feel at ease.

Some time before sundown the ship anchors before Ash Island's shores. Ash Island is very small compared to the inhabited islands of the Empire but surpasses them in beauty.

A small, wild jungle grows on the dark volcanic sand. A waterfall splashes from the rocks into a small natural pond that shines blue like a sapphire. It is a small paradise, the perfect place to recover from big feasts and masses of people that seek to gain your favour.

Right by the beach, next to the first trees of the jungle, a small house was prepared for Seri's arrival. Fully decorated with exotic flowers, the pantry filled with fresh fruit and water, it makes Seri feel like he's still in the palace.

As he unpacks his bag and puts his clothes onto the bed, Noy plans their return to home together with the sailors. Then it strikes Seri. Wait. When the sailors leave, him and Noy will be completely alone.

Why does this make him so nervous all of the sudden? This should be handled professionally, Noy is simply supposed to guard him, nothing else. As Seri ponders the meaning of his thoughts, his heart beats faster with every passing second.

Noy waves goodbye to the sailors leaving again, which makes Seri feel nauseous. Why did he choose Noy? Right now he would wish for any other guard to keep him safe instead of him. Noy walks up to the small house with their baggage.

"I will have to carry some more stuff over here from the beach. The sailors left a couple crates full of supplies, so get some rest from traveling while I get that done." Noy says in a serious but warm tone.

Seri nods in his direction and watches him turn around and leave. He should start relaxing now, Seri tells himself to calm down again.

There are so many good things to do here and no one is watching. Finally for the first time in his life he is completely alone. Almost.

Seri goes through the pantry, grabs a bottle of sweet liquor he finds and changes into pants and a simple white linen shirt.

"I already don't want to go back." he says jokingly to himself in the mirror that stands next to the bed.

The way he looks right now just has something special about it that he likes a lot. It must be the simplicity. Filled with joy and good thoughts he goes outside and decides to sit down in the sand not too far from the house. Now he can overlook the whole beach.

Close by he can see Noy carrying the crates up to the house. By the way he holds them, Seri can tell they are pretty heavy. The hot evening sun does not make the carrying easier.

Breaking a sweat, he arrives at the house with the first crate. It seems to be filled with a lot of bottles. Seri can not tell what they are filled with, it might be water or maybe some wine.

What he does notice though is how Noy's neck shines from the sweat running down from his head. Amused over this, Seri opens the liquor bottle and sips on it a little.

After Noy carries up the second box, his shirt starts to show wet spots. The summer heat really does a number on him, Seri thinks and smiles. Completely focused on the supplies though, Noy puts the crates on top of each other.

He wipes the sweat from his forehead with his hand and suddenly takes off his shirt, revealing a well defined body. Pearls of sweat run down Noy's chest and abs.

From this sight Seri chokes on the liquor he just took another sip of. Luckily Noy does not notice because he already turns around again to get the last crates from the beach.

Seri's face starts to blush intensely and now also to him the summer heat feels very much like a burden. Thank goodness Noy can not see him like this right now, he thinks. Seri decides it would be best if he went to the pond to cool down a little and get a grip again. So he gets up, takes one last big sip from the bottle and returns to the small house to get a towel.

The cold water splashing down from the rocks onto his naked shoulders feels so refreshing, Seri thinks as he stands there in the pond, the water up to below his rips.

He closes his eyes for a while and floats off into the middle of the pond, listening to all the songs sung by the exotic birds around him. This is exactly what he needed, time to himself.

Slowly the sun sets on the horizon and the sky changes its colour to an intense mix of orange and red. Having cooled down completely now, Seri gets out of the water, wraps the towel around his waist and goes back to the house.

Through the big windows he can see Noy storing away the supplies from outside. As he enters the one and only room the house contains besides the pantry, Seri says to Noy: "It's getting dark soon. Would you mind lighting the candles while I get dressed?"

Noy just nods with a subtle smile on his lips and switches from storing supplies away to making some light. There are countless candles spread out around the house like on the floor, the low dinner table, the night stands and even outside encircling it.

As Noy lights the last candles outside, Seri changes into his pants and the simple linen shirt again.

"Where should I sleep?" Noy asks all of the sudden.

"What would you feel the safest with?"

Seri looks around and realizes there is only one floor-levelled bed. He looks back at Noy with an uncertain look on his face, slightly blushing.

"It's okay, I can just sleep on the floor at the entrance. That way I should be able to act fast in case anything happens." Noy says and smirks with the ride corner of his mouth only, like he often does.

"I mean, I can give you my blanket to lie on. That's probably more comfortable and I don't need it anyways since it's been so hot today." Seri says without looking up to Noy.

"Thanks, that would be nice" he replies and laughs a little.

As they both lie down after relaxing for a bit, even though a couple steps away from each other, Seri could feel the tension rise.


	5. Chapter 5

### Woody Redolence

Seri lies in his bed with his eyes wide open. Silence dominates the night, only the waves in the distance disturb it.

Ever since they both went to bed, his head would simply not quiet down. Seri's whole body tickles, as if Noy resting a couple steps away from him radiated some kind of energy. An energy that makes Seri feel so restless but so safe and warm at the same time. A kind of energy he has never felt from anybody else before.

Seri slowly turns his head to the right to look at Noy. It seems like he is sleeping already. His armour is put aside on a chair, his sword leans against a pillar very close to him so he can reach it fast in case something happens.

Because of the heat that accumulated in the house over the day, Noy took his shirt off earlier to sleep more comfortably. To Seri this is a view that he can not get enough from.

Noy's brawny chest moves up and down slowly as he breathes in and out. Apparently he prefers to have no body hair, just like Seri.

Observing Noy's breathing for a while, Seri suddenly feels how a desire awakes in him to get closer to Noy. Maybe he just had too much liquor, or maybe it is just very late, but those kind of thoughts are usually unlike Seri. It might also just be the fact he is away from home for the first time in his life and feels so defenceless.

"Noy?" he whispers in his direction.

No reaction. He tries again, a little bit louder this time: "Noy, I don't feel safe."

Opening his eyes and scratching his sweaty chest, Noy turns his head to the side to look at Seri: "Should I stay awake and watch the house? I can get sleep by day if you like."

"Mmm, I'm not sure. I thought more of... uhm. Could you maybe sleep closer to me?" Seri replies with a shy tone.

Slightly unsettled by what he said, Noy pauses for a second. Then he asks him: "How close were you thinking exactly?"

"I don't know, just closer!" Seri's stutters timidly.

Noy just nods in Seri's direction and gets up from his sleeping place. As he walks up to Seri's bed, dressed in only a beige pair of linen pants, Seri moves to the side to make space for him. Hesitant for a moment, he gets on the bed with his knees first, then lies down beside Seri. Both are now staring at the ceiling and their elbows are touching.

Scared that Seri might notice his fast heart beat and now nervous breath, Noy turns on his right side to face the entrance. Seri glances at his broad, bronze shoulders. Turning on to the same side as him, Seri now faces Noy's muscular back.

Lying so close to him he perceives his smell for the first time. It is a strong, woody redolence but not too intense. Quite on the contrary, it gives Seri a feeling of safety.

With Noy's smell in his nose, Seri can finally close his eyes and his thoughts stop racing. He slowly falls asleep, with a subtle smile on his lips.

The screeching of the seagulls wakes Noy up early in the morning. The warm rays of sunlight falling through the windows warm his half-naked body. Noy begins to stretch and yawn when he suddenly notices Seri's hand was resting on his stomach.

Not knowing what to do, he stops breathing and looks over to Seri. He's still asleep, he probably does not know that he is doing this right now. Noy gently lifts Seri's hand and puts it to rest beside him. Then he gets up. As he grabs a towel and some fruit for breakfast, Noy tries to make as little noise as possible to not wake Seri up.

He leaves the house and walks down the beach to the little waterfall, with the intention to wash the sweat from yesterday off his body. While he gets undressed, Noy lays his clothes over a rock close by, eats the last bit of fruit he carries and then jumps in. As he emerges from the water again, he runs his hand through his hair to get it out of his face. After sweating so much from the summer heat, this cold refreshing water feels good for a change. When he stands straight, the water reaches up to just below his belly button. Lower than on Seri's body, when he does it.

For a while he just swims around, washes himself and enjoys a back-massage from the waterfall. As the exotic birds around him get more active and competitive with their singing, Noy notices Seri walking up to the pond.

"Would you be up for a drink with me tonight? I get tired of drinking alone all the time." Seri says with a sparkle in his eyes.

"I mean, since there is no one around who could forbid it, sounds good!" Noy replies and laughs.

Deep inside he was hoping Seri would not treat him like a simple bodyguard on this trip. This means there might be a way for him to get closer to Seri after all.

Noy had a lot of time to think about this. Especially because of last night, he realized he can not hold back his feelings any longer. Because of how close they were sleeping to each other, Noy could notice what Seri is capable of doing to him. Not only to his head, but also to his body. Noy wants more than just this now. He grew tired of having to imagine more between them. This might be the right time for Noy to make things turn real.

As Seri wanders off again with a big smile on his face, Noy smirks and looks down at his reflection in the water.


	6. Chapter 6

### Warm Touch

The sun is setting slowly on the horizon, the ocean mirrors its colourful rays of orange, red and pink.

Noy prepares a cozy place on the beach near their house, while Seri is taking a bath in the pond by the waterfall. Earlier Noy dug up a small ditch for them to lie in, even formed head rests out of sand and put several blankets from inside the house over the sand to make it more comfortable. Next to the ditch he put two wooden trays and packed them full with a dozen bottles and small snacks. He even thought of Seri's favourites.

"Let's drink then, shall we?" Seri says and claps his hands in anticipation, as he comes back from the pond with his hair still wet. Noy just nods and smiles a little, he seems to contain his excitement. In reality his hands in his pockets are sweaty because he is nervous of what might happen tonight.

"Wow you really went overboard with this Noy! I like it though." Seri says and chuckles a little when he sees what Noy prepared for them. "It looks so comfy!"

"Thanks. I thought since we don't get to do this normally around the palace I wanted to make it somewhat special." Noy replies and feels proud of his work.

"You're right. To be honest, I already don't want to go back. Everyone in that palace just annoys me at times." Seri says in a slightly saddened voice and sits down in the ditch. He reaches for a bottle. "Let's make the best of it!" he says and passes it to Noy.

He takes it, opens it with a few skilled moves and says to Seri: "I get that. If I was you I would probably feel the same way."

He sits down next to Seri and takes a couple big sips. Seri just looks at him, smiles and then does the same. Both of them enjoy the last few seconds of the sunset and do not say a word.

Then as the stars slowly conquer the sky and the night begins, Seri and Noy continue with drinking and chatting like they have never before. The mood could not be any better. With every passing hour, more and more empty bottles pile up in the sand and both boys have gotten quite tipsy by now.

Seri and Noy lie there on the blankets, looking into the starry sky, when Noy begins arguing with himself in his mind.

He should definitely go for it now and just grab Seri's slim thighs that look so fragile but beautiful, to pull him closer. But no, that would be inappropriate without a warning. Although that is what he really desires to do right now. He finally just wants to feel his skin on his own, not in secret but with Seri's consent.

So Noy turns to Seri and just looks him into his innocent eyes, without saying anything.

Seri looks at him and just smiles contently. Then it happens.

Noy lays his right hand onto Seri's cheek and his look jumps up and down, from his eyes to his lips. Seri's face turns red and suddenly Noy feels a heat ignite in the cheek he is touching.

Still not a word is being said, Seri only looks at Noy in confusion, completely overwhelmed by what he is doing at the moment.

Then Noy's grip on his cheek gets stronger and Seri can feel how he is being pulled closer. Hesitant and holding back at first, he finally gives in to it.

Their lips touch. But Noy does not stop there. Seri feels his tongue invading his mouth. Not knowing what to do he just closes his eyes and lets it happen.

Noy's movements get slightly faster and a little more ungentle, as he pushes Seri down on to the blanket with his other hand. Now laying under him, Seri tries to push Noy's brawny chest away a little but also he does not want this to stop at the same time.

Then he feels Noy's knee slowly sliding up on the inside of his legs.

That is where it gets too much for Seri. Holding Noy's knee back with one hand and pushing his face away with the other, he makes it stop.

"Sorry. I went a little too far without asking." Noy says, a little out of breath and wiping his lips with his wrist.

"N-No." Seri stutters "I just... it caught me off guard."

Noy laughs a little and gets off of Seri so he can get up again.

"I'm really sorry. I really should have asked you first. It's just, I feel this strong attraction to you Seri. And I can't ignore it any longer. It's just there and I want to feel you close to me, your body close against mine."

Deeply touched by his confession with such strong words, Seri pauses for a moment and looks down. He now realizes something. Something that he is not quite comfortable with, but he knows it is the truth.

"Me too." Seri whispers, looks up and brushes a piece of hair out of his face behind his ear. As he confesses back, Seri bites his lips, trying to hold back an urge that has just awakened in him. A flame that Noy could ignite inside of him with his touch.

"Do you want to go inside?" Noy asks Seri with his warm voice, making Seri's heart jump. He just nods and tries to suppress a smile, knowing there is still only one bed.

In the light of the dozens of candles around the house, Seri sits down on his bed. Noy walks up to him, takes off his shirt and throws it over a chair.

"You still want me close to you?" he asks in a deepened voice.

Like being enchanted, Seri just looks at Noy's hunky body and says quietly: "Yes please." So he lies down next to him.

For a minute they both just lie there, Seri turned on to his side and Noy looking at his back, then he asks him: "Can I touch you?"

With a shaky voice, looking at the wall, Seri gives his permission.

"Yes."

Then he feels Noy's hand on his thin waist. First just on one side, then both, Noy tightens his grip around them. Seri breathes in deeply. Suddenly, with a slow movement, he gets pulled closer to Noy.

Seri can feel a warmth up from his shoulders, down to his legs, as their bodies align fully. There it is again, the strong woody smell he smelled yesterday. It directly makes him feel less uneasy and his heart starts to calm down a little.

The calmness does not stick around for long, when suddenly Seri notices Noy's grip on his waist tighten again. His hot breath warms Seri's neck from behind, as he thrusts his hips up against him once. Slowly Noy starts to repeat that movement and Seri can feel him harden with every repetition.

Now Seri understands. This is what Noy meant by "feeling your body close against mine" and to Seri, that is not a problem. On the contrary, he wants it too. Now.

So Seri grabs Noy's hand and pulls it from his waist, up to his chest, under his shirt. There Noy feels how fast his heart was beating at this moment.

"It's okay, I'll be gentle." Noy whispers into Seri's ear, then kisses his neck from behind. With his one hand he takes Seri's shirt off, with the other he still holds onto his waist.

As the air gets hotter and their bodies sweatier, Noy changes the position. He pulls Seri over and turns him onto his back. They now face each other. Noy gets in between Seri's legs and kisses his neck passionately. His right rests on Seri's cheek, while his left slowly slides down his side. With one quick movement he then lifts Seri's left leg up a little and lets his strong hand slide over his smooth skin, up and down.

Seri holds on to Noy's muscular back and enjoys his passionate touch, releasing quiet moans every now and then. Like this, slowly his last doubts melt away.


	7. Chapter 7

### Drops of Sweat

Drops of sweat roll down Noy's neck and drip on to Seri's chest as he caresses the royal body beneath him.

With a wildly burning fire inside him, Noy fully gives into his desires and is now decided and unstoppable in his act. His breath gets heavier and his body hotter with every move. Lying directly under this machine of a body, Seri feels so defenceless like a young fawn beneath a hungry bear, yet he enjoys his situation more than anything he had ever experienced in his life before.

Thinking it could not get any more intense than it already has, Seri suddenly feels how Noy slides his strong hand down his leg to his butt. There he grabs onto Seri's shorts and begins to pull them down slowly. To not reveal too much at once, he grabs both Seri's ankles and pulls them up over his broad shoulders. Now Seri's legs rest on them and only his backside is stripped.

Then Noy pauses for a moment. He looks down to Seri, who looks both scared and pleasured at the same time.

"Do you want me to continue? Are you comfortable with that?" Noy asks with his deep voice, on short breath.

Seri lies there with an unsettled look on his face. He must have noticed that his hands and legs started to shake intensely, Seri thinks. Unsure about what to tell him he tries to normalize his breathing again, so he can get a coherent thought together in his head.

Although he would love to go further, Seri's doubts slowly return as he gets a hold of himself again.

"Uhhmm... I don't know." he says with a tense voice and takes his legs off Noy's shoulders. Then he sits up in front of Noy kneeling there and rests on his elbows.

"I'm not sure. Shouldn't we take it a little more slowly?" Seri mumbles a little saddened. He really wants to go all the way with Noy but the doubts seem to have taken over completely. More scared than curious now, he backs up a little.

Noy sighs once. "If you're not a hundred percent sure, then we really shouldn't continue... good thing I asked." He gets up, rubs his face for a moment, then sits down on a chair nearby the bed.

"I'm sorry Noy, somehow I'm just too scared of it. Don't get me wrong! I trust you entirely and I would really love to do those things with you, but I can't get rid of the doubt." Seri says. A feeling of guilt overcomes him. Did he lead him on in his tipsy state?

Noy shakes his head. "It's fine, really. I can wait."

He takes an already opened, half empty bottle from the table next to him and finishes it entirely. Then he gets up from the chair and lies down by the entrance again, where he originally meant to sleep on the first night.

Not really getting a chance to say anything, Seri just observes. Then all he can get across his lips without breaking into tears is a quiet: "Sorry."

Pretending to not have heard him, Noy just turns around and tries to get some rest. Seri drops down on his back, tears start rolling down his temples as he closes his eyes in the emotional pain.

Trying not to make any sound at all he turns away from Noy and pushes his face into the pillow. Not being able to sleep for what feels like hours, Seri tosses and turns around. Had he made a mistake? Should he just give in and ignore all his doubts? Is Noy expecting him to apologize? Did he disappoint him or even worse did he hurt him?

All those questions torture Seri's mind through the whole night that now seems so much darker than before. Mentally exhausted from thinking it over, he finally falls asleep with a facial expression on his face that would suggest physical pain.

In the morning he jumps up, as if he dreamed of falling from a great height. Seri looks around the room, Noy is not there. His armour and sword are gone too, he must have taken on his duty and patrols the beach around the house.

Seri decides to get up immediately and get dressed. He wants to set things right between him and Noy. How things ended yesterday is unbearable to him.

Excited to explain everything to him he had thought of over the night, Seri rushes to the entrance when suddenly Noy appears in the door frame. In full armour he stands there and winks at him. Glad to see he is not mad at him, Seri begins to explain: "Uhm, because of yesterday. I wanted to say-" he gets interrupted.

"Don't you worry pretty boy. I was thinking too and I was a total dick, looking back at it. I shouldn't have been disappointed. I should adjust to your speed. I see that now." Noy says apologetically and with a smile on his face, as he takes off the armour and puts his sword down.

Realizing all this time he was spending on thinking of explanations to Noy was for nothing, Seri tries to suppress his laughter. "Thank you Noy. I really appreciate this."

Seri runs up to him and hugs him with all his strength, pushing his head into Noy's chest. Stumbling back a little from the push, Noy starts laughing and puts his arms around Seri. He strokes his hair a little, then gives him a kiss on his head.


	8. Chapter 8

### Deep Inside

Leaning against Noy's warm chest and listening to what he says, Seri realizes how understanding he is and how maturely he handled what happened between them yesterday. It is like Seri's last doubts melt away at last and Noy could fully earn his trust.

Why should he wait any longer now, they have been so close already Seri thinks. And after he proved to be so warm-hearted, Seri can simply not think of any reason as to why he should keep Noy waiting either.

Seri looks up to him, smirks and says: "Let's do it."

Strong arms grab Seri's thighs and lift him up. He goes along and wraps his legs around Noy's waist. Passionately kissing his neck, Noy carries his boy over to the table where he lays him down on his back a little roughly. An empty bottle falls over and pushes two wooden cups off.

Not even giving it a thought, Noy continues to kiss Seri's neck, leaving a couple of hickies on him. He then grabs onto Seri's shirt and strips him, working his way down to his chest with his kisses.

Now that he feels Seri's body heat up, Noy takes care of his own. With one hand he grabs his crotch and begins to rub it, while he puts the other around Seri's neck.

Completely overwhelmed Seri holds onto the table's edges and tries to prepare for what comes next.

With a mischievous smile on his face, Noy begins to pull down Seri's pants, slowly revealing his parts. Seri's breath stops and he looks to the side, trying to hide his blushing face a little. No one has ever seen him naked before, not like this.

"I guess it's my turn now huh?" Noy says and smiles with one corner of his mouth, revealing his teeth. He slowly undoes the knot in his pants' straps. Seri looks at him in curious excitement. Neither has he ever seen someone else naked.

Finally Noy's pants drop to the floor. His hard veiny cock hangs down a little from its size but otherwise stands proud, now right in front of Seri's butt.

"Oof." Seri exclaims in slight concern and let's his head bang down on the table he lies on.

Noy just laughs a little and gets back to business right away. He wraps his one hand around his cock, the other he puts on Seri's stomach to pin him down.

Then Seri feels it touch him. First Noy just rubs it against him for a good minute. His breath gets heavier and his eyes wilder. With one strong pull he positions Seri closer to him.

He puts his cock down on Seri's abdominal, where Seri can feel its heat all the way up to his belly button. The length of Noy's sword kindles fear in Seri, there is no way he can take it.

Noy holds on to Seri's hips now, then positions it. Feeling the pressure grow down there, Seri tries to relax. A pain hits him as his body begins to stretch, Seri's nails leave scratch marks on the table's edges from his struggle.

His moans from pleasure and pain grow louder. Seri tries to back off a little, wanting to ease the pressure again but Noy has a strong grip on his hips. There is no way he can move away now to make it stop.

Seri's body twitches and his breath gets faster. As Noy increases the pressure to finally get inside Seri, he grunts. With one last forceful push Seri's body eases up and Noy slowly impales him.

With a loud moan Seri raises his chest high up from the pain, his hips still held down on the table. A sound of relief leaves Noy's lips.

"Sorry Seri." he says with an empathetic voice, sounding like it is lie at the same time though. Noy leans over so his weight fully rests on Seri's body. Holding onto his shoulders from behind and pushing him down, Noy starts to thrust his hips, shoving his cock deeper inside Seri.

Not being able to stop moaning out load, Seri rams his nails into Noy's muscular back. Trying to hold onto him and distract from the immense pain he is in, he leaves long scratch marks behind.

Enjoying the sharp pain from the scratches, Noy begins to moan as well. His hip movements get faster and more uncontrolled with every thrust until his full length reaches Seri's inside.

His thrusts carry more and more power with every push and the growing pain Noy is in from the scratches. Even the table does not stay at its place.

Seri feels so unbelievably tight, Noy has to be careful not to blow his load immediately. Not being able to hold it any longer though, he gets faster and faster. His hips smash against Seri with so much power now, that he shakes with every thrust.

Swearing uncontrollably Noy shoves his cock into Seri as deep as he can and moans out loud one last time. With his veiny cock twitching inside Seri, he fills him up good.

"Please don't stop!" Seri tells him with great desire and tries to move Noy's sweaty body back and forth with his own hands. But fully out of breath, Noy gets off Seri and pulls out.

"I'm done." he says coldly and wipes pearls of sweat from his face. Noy pulls up his pants and just rubs Seri's left leg a little, smirks at him, then leaves the house.

For some reason Seri expected something different from him. Is he not supposed to finish off as well? Because this was Seri's first sexual experience ever, he decides to not think much of it though.

He slowly sits up and looks down his body, shining wet from Noy's and his own sweat. Seri feels Noy's emissions drip from his butt. With his state of pleasure slowly dying, physical pain is the only thing that stays.

Seri carefully gets off the table and puts on his pants. A bath would be a good idea now he thinks and grabs a towel.

As he leaves the house and heads for the pond, he notices Noy sitting by the shoreline, just staring into the distance.

"I hope he enjoyed it. I hope he enjoyed me." Seri mumbles to himself.


	9. Chapter 9

### Wet Towel

A couple days go by and Seri has not talked a whole lot to Noy since then. They did sleep together but nothing happened in particular and they did not get close again either.

Seri sits in the shade that a nearby palm tree offers and thinks things over. Noy does seem a little distant, but then again, he never really was a touchy guy either. The talking however became less frequent for sure. He also does not smile at Seri as much as he used to.

Maybe the experience they made together a couple days ago was not good enough in Noy's eyes? Wanting to end his anxious state and overthinking, Seri gets up and starts talking to Noy, who currently chops some wood for a fire not far away from him.

"Did you enjoy getting close to me?" Seri asks with a shaky voice.

"Uhm, you mean the fucking?" Noy says and smirks. "Yeah it was pretty good. Why do you ask?"

"Oh okay... I wasn't sure and just wanted to know if you liked it."

"Yeah definitely." Noy says a little repellingly and continues chopping wood.

Content about his words but worried by the way he said them, Seri smiles insecurely and thanks him for his honesty.

Maybe their relationship was affected by what happened, more than Seri thought. Noy definitely changed and not in a good way. He was so mature and understanding though, why is he different now, Seri asks himself.

Will he take what happened for granted? Does Noy think Seri is easy? Will he abuse his feelings for him? Those are serious questions that haunt his mind at the moment.

Trying to drown them right away, Seri grabs a bottle and decides to numb his feelings with wine.

He simply can not be playing him, Seri is sure. They both do feel a connection after all. It must be this one thing that makes Noy different. The "fucking" as he called it.

Maybe Noy mistook sexual attraction for the romantic kind and realizes only now. That thought scares Seri the most, as he sits there and chugs the bottle.

Hours go by and Noy still works outside the house. He has been thinking about what happened a lot himself actually. Scary enough, the same thought of confusing sexual feelings for romantic ones crossed his mind. Seri is such a gem, it would not surprise him if he is completely honest.

Instead of feeling shame or guilt about the confusion and therefor potential use of Seri's feelings for his own advantage, Noy tells himself it is fine either way. As long as Seri wants it, he does not see a problem with it. Of course Seri might see it differently, but does it matter? Are they not both happy with what they receive from the other?

The sun sets on the horizon, when Noy enters the house. Seri sits at the table with empty bottles lined up next to him.

Absolutely drunk and having difficulties not falling over, Seri gets up and walks up to him. "I can do it better next time, trust me! Please don't act so cold around me. I can fix it, I can do it better!" he says and raises his voice at Noy.

Catching him before dropping to the floor, Noy holds onto Seri's shoulders. "What do you mean? I am not acting cold."

"Yes you are! And I think it's my fault because I wasn't good enough, so let me try again and make you happy!" Seri yells at him in his drunkenness and punches Noy's muscular chest.

Pausing for a moment, Noy thinks about what he just said. Doing it with Seri was the best thing he ever experienced and he for sure wants to do it again. So should he ignore that his true feelings might not match his actions?

"You mean like... now?" Noy asks him curiously.

"Yes! Now!" Seri says angrily and drops to the floor on his knees.

Noy's heart jumps in excitement, as Seri tries to undo his pants' straps. Would it be okay to give in now and let it happen, he asks himself. Seri seems good with it after all. Noy decides to ignore the doubts and help Seri. The thrill awaiting him is simply too tempting.

As he waits for Seri to untie the knot, Noy strokes his hair and bites his own lip in excitement.

With Seri seemingly having some trouble with the knot, Noy pushes his hands away quickly.

"Let me do that." he says in his thrill.

He reaches down his pants and grabs his girthy cock to pull it out over the pants. It now hangs there, only a few centimetres away from Seri's face.

From this angle it looks even more impressive to Seri than a couple days ago. Almost terrifying even.

As he wants to reach for it, Noy suddenly grabs Seri by his hair. With the other hand he grabs his throbbing cock and slowly brings it closer to Seri's lips.

Wanting to make him more satisfied this time, Seri decides to go along. He opens his mouth a little and sticks out his tongue to touch it.

First hesitantly, then more confident, Seri licks the tip. Noy let's his head fall back, closes his eyes and starts moaning quietly.

Out of curiosity Seri starts to move more independently. He slides his tongue up Noy's sword, feeling the thick veins covering it.

Then Noy looks back down, his grip on Seri's hair tightens again and he slowly forces the tip through his lips. Having to open his mouth up wider because of the size, Seri goes along and leans in to take more length.

Noy releases a loud moan in his pleasure. This might not be as tight as last time but it does not feel any less thrilling to him either.

He begins to thrust his hips towards Seri, who chokes a little out of surprise. But Noy does not stop and still holds onto Seri's hair.

He knows that Seri could never take it all, so he tries to go slowly and not too deep, but still deep enough so it is pleasurable to him.

Feeling he slowly gets there, Noy accelerates his thrusts, unintentionally going deeper also. Seri just closes his eyes and tries not to panic. As long as he can breathe it should be fine he thinks.

Noy's moaning become more frequent and louder with every thrust into Seri's throat. His face changes and begins to look like he is in severe pain, as Noy gets closer to the climax.

One last strong push forces his cock down Seri's throat in all its length. Swearing loudly and uncontrollably just like he did last time, Noy shoots his load down Seri's throat.

Seri who clenches his eyes and tries not to suffocate, is forced to swallow all of it since it's already deep inside of him.

Pulling it out slowly, Noy exhales in relief and gives Seri a light smack on his cheek.

Having an uncomfortable spot hit too aggressively by Noy, he falls forward on his hands and throws up. Noy looks down to him with an indifferent expression on his face.

"Here's a towel." he says and tosses one on the floor next to Seri after he uses it to wipe his dripping sword with it. He adjusts his junk in his pants, then leaves the house as if nothing happened.

And again, Seri notices how Noy turns so incredibly cold right after he finishes. So last time was not an exception.

It might be normal. Seri's lack of experience calms his mind again, as he wipes his mouth with the dry part of the towel. He then grabs cleaning supplies and starts drunkenly scrubbing the floor where he vomited.

Seri decides to view his post-love behaviour as normal to not further torture himself by overthinking it. It just has to be normal.


	10. Chapter 10

### Safe Haven

The gentle waves rock Seri's ship on his way back to the palace. The last days on Ash Island were concerningly uneventful. Since him and Noy have not gotten close again, he feels an emotional turmoil spark within.

Noy seems to have lost interest in talking to him. Deeply hurt by it, Seri starts to feel desperate. All he can think of is Noy's contradictory behaviour and how he can not understand it.

Trying not to show his pain to Noy, he pushes it down and holds back his tears in front of him. The shamefully strong fear of being played expands creepingly in Seri's heart.

Noy is a guard after all and was doing his duty the entire time, when he was around Seri. That situation can be misinterpreted pretty easily, Seri realizes now. There is just something inside of him that hopes it is all a silly misunderstanding. To get this intimately close with another person, it must mean something after all?

The rays of sunlight tickle Seri's nose, as he watches the seagulls circle above him and the crew. While the sailors yell orders at each other, Noy leans against the mast and relaxes just like he did when they travelled together last time. He seems so unbothered and at peace, as if nothing of importance has happened.

He must feel entirely indifferent about the intimacy he shared with Seri. Or maybe it is Seri's insecurity telling him that and it is all just in his head? Sooner or later he will find out, at least that is what he believes.

As the ship anchors by the palace beach and the crew unloads the freight, Seri notices a feeling of relief. For some reason the recent inner conflict makes him feel at Noy's mercy entirely. To finally get away from him might give him space to breath and distract from the pain he feels. A smile spreads across Seri's face as he leaves the ship.

After a short but warm welcome from the advisor, Seri wanders through the palace with her, feeling his heart getting lighter.

"This week will be fairly important, your Majesty. I know you just returned and I feel bad for disturbing the peace with this immediately, but we need to talk it through nonetheless!" she says to Seri.

He sighs, then answers: "What is it that's so important?"

"A diplomatic envoy will arrive here tomorrow, with the highly important mission to secure better ties with the Realm of Silverstar. In return we earn their loyalty and trust as our subject. I don't think I have to explain why loyalty is of such big importance within the Empire?"

"Ahh, so there will be someone you want me to suck up to?" Seri says drily and rolls his eyes a little.

"No Seri. The Empire wants you to suck up to them. In fact, we could suffer a big loss of stability if this relationship went cold. Please don't underestimate your duty." she replies, getting a little louder.

Slightly annoyed he says: "Right, right. So, what do I need to know about this envoy?"

"Thank you for taking it seriously, your Majesty. There is a couple things I would like to warn you about." the advisor says with a voice that concerns Seri.

"Warn me?" he says shocked but laughs.

"Yes, Seri. The envoy will be no other than the Duke of Silverstar himself. This makes diplomacy a less flexible and less forgiving matter, I'm afraid."

"Uhm, so why is that a problem? Is he... moody?" Seri looks at her with big eyes.

"Well he tends to be quite arbitrary in behaviour. He is very young, you see? In this case, you being closer together in matters of age, will probably be more of a problem than it is helpful." she says and her face takes on a pitying expression.

"Hmm, is there anything that he likes in particular?" Seri asks in hopes of finding a way to avoid a bad first encounter.

"The young Duke is known to avoid relationships, unfortunately that also means there is not much intel we can make use of. You will have to investigate yourself, through communication."

"Then tell me, what's his name?" Seri asks and stops in the middle of the hallway.

"His name is Kyno, he is seventeen. Other than that I can't really tell you anything, sorry."

With another sigh, Seri ends the conversation, thanks the advisor and walks the other way. His mind is too busy right now for the next level diplomacy that awaits him. On the other hand, a new face might just be the distraction he needs right now.

Walking down the hallway to his room suddenly Seri crosses ways with Noy. Without stopping they walk by each other, Seri looks at him and smiles, Noy salutes and winks at him.

Maybe he is glad to be back in the palace as well. The events of Ash Island could have been too much for him to process just like with Seri.

After deciding not to waste another thought on it, Seri enters his room and falls onto his bed. Joy fills his heart, as he pushes his face deep into the pillow. "Being home is the best." he mumbles.

Looking up and into the distance, he can see how palace servants prepare the dock for the envoy's arrival tomorrow. They seem to be putting quite a lot of effort into the decorating.

"This Kyno guy must be a big deal, huh?" Seri says with his head resting on his arms.

He rolls his eyes, turns on his back and exhales. Seri might be shy, but diplomacy so far seemed to go in his favour. Not much can go wrong, he tells himself to soothe the anxious feeling inside him.

Thinking about what they could do to bond tomorrow, Seri peacefully dozes off. Sleeping on his own without anyone around feels nice, liberating almost. At least that is the last thought crossing his mind before falling asleep.

Early in the morning, with the sun not even up yet, Seri awakes. He feels incredibly jittery about the envoy's arrival today. Not being able to go back to sleep, Seri decides to get up.

After washing himself, he just stands in front of his mirror for a while and then realizes something. His body looks different. Seri can not tell what it is, but for some reason it changed. Almost as if Noy has left a mark on him, he feels how it messes with his head, even though he decided not to think about it any longer.

Disgusted by it, Seri gets dressed quickly so he does not have to look at himself any longer. He chooses a white robe, as usual. Seri likes them because they are quite aesthetically pleasing, radiate authority and show off parts of his body he is proud of. Mainly his legs but also his delicate collarbones.

A dainty silver necklace fits tightly around his neck like a choker, to finish off his god-like look. Wanting to impress today, Seri tucks his hair behind his right ear and puts in a single silver dangly earring that hangs down to just above his shoulder. It is also subtle in design, yet very decorative.

With a big confidence boost from his fine looks, he struts through the palace hallways to get everything ready for the envoy's arrival. Walking by some guards, Seri notices them turning around after him and feels their eyes look him up and down from behind.

Entering the hall to eat some breakfast, Seri calls for the advisor to talk things through in detail once again. Overwhelmed by how motivated and confident he comes across, the advisors almost bursts of pride.

After rigorous explaining, Seri and the advisor walk to the docks, ready to welcome the Duke soon.

It looks very beautiful, how the servants decorated the pillars there with flowers and spread garlands across the docks. Almost jealous, Seri admires it, then thanks the servants and everyone else who got involved.

With the guards lining up and Seri confidently standing on a podium overlooking everything, a big ship slowly approaches.


	11. Chapter 11

### Blush Pink

Seri bites his lips in nervousness as the heavy plank hits the dock. A good dozen of guards in noble silver armour leave the ship, marching in two rows beside each other. After they line up on the dock, two of the guards kneel down at the bottom of the plank, one on each side. With upheld banners they look back at the ship and lead their right fists to their hearts. In a synchronous movement, all other guards turn around to face the ship.

A young figure appears at the very top of the plank. Pieces of his blush pink hair are being blown into his face by a gentle breeze. Golden eyes shine through the mess with an energy in them that Seri can not describe. Although if he had to, "unsettling" would fit best. A big grin forms on the boy's face, revealing sharp canines. His skin tone reminds of creamy caramel, his body would be considered skinny, but is definitely more athletic than Seri's.

With a big jump, he gets off the ship and lands in a kneeling position between his guards. He looks up quickly, his wild look pierces through his hair and penetrates right into Seri's soul. At least that is how Seri perceives it. Scratching the back of his hand nervously, Seri steps forward and breaks the silence.

"Welcome to Goldblood Island, Duke. I hope your journey was pleasant?"

Jumping up from the ground, then bowing to Seri deeply with one hand on his chest and the other raised over his back into the air, he greets him in an over exaggerated manner.

"My Emperor, you can call me Kyno. I believe we will have quite a lot of fun, during the time I'm here!" Kyno says and stands up straight. A big grin forms on his face again.

The combination of his soul-piercing wild eyes and his sharp smile, which could be perceived as a little insane, throws Seri off completely. Not knowing what to say, he smiles back hesitantly with slight fear in his eyes. Trying to get a grip, he begins to stammer, not really conveying his rank as Emperor right now.

"Okay... Kyno. Well, make yourself at home! There is a spacious room prepared for you in the west wing and also a quarter for your guards nearby. Why don't you get all settled in, then join me for lunch?"

Kyno jumps and shouts in great excitement: "Amazing! Sounds good to me!" then laughs.

Passing by the perplexed Emperor, he punches Seri in his shoulder and runs off towards the palace. Completely shocked and in disbelief about Kyno's unexpected behaviour, Seri just stands on the dock, staring into the nothingness. The advisor walks up to him from behind and turns him around to talk, while Kyno's guards start unloading the ship.

"My Emperor, I had no idea he was insane! Please forgive me! Are you okay?"

Seri looks at her with widened eyes and answers: "It's... it's alright. We will be fine I think. More information on him wouldn't have changed much anyways I guess."

With the advisor sighing and holding Seri's shoulder in comfort, both turn their heads to Kyno. He is still running, releasing a laugh so loud, they both can hear it from the docks. With a big jump forward he lands in the sand on his stomach and begins rolling around, seemingly having the time of his life. Seri raises his hand to his face and exhales deeply. The silver guards walking by can not help but chuckle. They must be used to this kind of reaction on their lord.

Back in the palace, Seri sits down in the great hall and watches servants prepare the table for lunch. Lost in his thoughts, he plays with a fork, pondering the possible outcomes of the lunchtime ahead of him. Seri would prefer if Kyno behaved a little more approachable, he thinks. Diplomacy in general may otherwise be somewhat of a challenge. Looking around the hall, Seri notices guards walking by, Noy being one of them.

"Hey, you look kinda down. Everything alright Seri?" Noy says and stops, staying behind.

Surprised by his attention, Seri blushes a little. All the moments from Ash Island flood his mind, as he looks into the tanned, serious face.

"Uhm, yeah. Thanks. It's just, our new guest is a little different than expected." Seri mumbles and chuckles a little. 

"Ahh, not to be rude but I heard a couple things already. Is it true that he's insane?" Noy says and tilts his head to the side, sort of looking like a puppy.

"Well... not sure to be honest, but from what I've seen it might be true."

Suddenly a loud noise interrupts their conversation. One of Kyno's guards dropped a chest, right in front of the great hall, on their way to his chambers. A loud voice, swearing aggressively, follows. It is Kyno with a drawn blade, assaulting his guard, who now starts running for their life. Observing the chase from the great hall, Seri and Noy can not believe their eyes. 

"I should be thankful to have you as my lord, Seri." Noy says and they both start laughing out loud.

Seri is glad they are having a normal conversation again, after the silence that burdened their relationship the last couple days. Now he is convinced, Noy must have felt insecure as well, not knowing how to handle the intimacy correctly. Maybe it would be best if they did not talk about it after all, Seri thinks.


End file.
